


Due Tomorrow

by Ignis_Sassentia



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, High School Noctis, M/M, beginning a relationship, brotherhood era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 20:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19158379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ignis_Sassentia/pseuds/Ignis_Sassentia
Summary: Gladio helps Noctis with his homework--and gives him a little surprise in the meantime. Fluffy brotherhood-era GladNoct.





	Due Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Godspoison](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Godspoison/gifts).



> Godspoison requested some fluffy GladNoct reading, so here we go!

It had been a long day. Between normal classes, combat training, boring council meetings, and arguing with Ignis about vegetables, Noctis was exhausted--and he hadn’t even started his homework yet. He hauled himself through the Citadel corridors toward his old rooms, head down and hands in his pockets. For a moment, he’d thought about asking Iggy to drive him home, but he didn’t particularly want to talk to his advisor right now. At least he still had a bed and stuff here for times like this.

He slipped into the old, familiar room and closed the door, leaning against it. He closed his eyes and took a couple deep breaths. Running through the list of his assignments, he slowly managed to prioritize the ones due the next day and talk himself into focusing on those. Way too many calculus problems, editing that report for history, and finishing that novel for lit. Doable. Hopefully.

Taking a moment to hype himself up, Noct pushed away from the door and flopped into his desk chair. He stared blankly at the calculus textbook for way too long before managing to flip it open.

He was nearly done with the math when someone knocked on his door. Groaning, he dropped his head to the desk. “What?”

“If that’s not the most royal thing I’ve ever heard.” Gladio pushed the door open with a chuckle and stepped into the room without invitation.

“What do you want, Gladio?” Noct turned his head without sitting up to press his cheek against the textbook and glower tiredly at his Shield. “I’m busy.”

The larger young man pulled something out of the pocket of his hoodie and tossed it toward the prince. “Left this in the training hall.”

Noctis realized it was his cell phone just seconds before catching it. He sat up and blinked at the slew of notifications on the lock screen. Well, Prompto had definitely been busy. A slow blush crept across his cheeks as he realized that Gladio had probably seen the notification for the last text that had come in just a few minutes ago: _“Dude, just tell Gladio you like him already so we can hang out again!!!! [lkissy face emoji] [eggplant emoji] [muscle arm emoji]_.”  

“Did you, uh, read my texts?” Noctis asked hesitantly, refusing to look up from the glowing screen. He really needed to turn off that stupid always-on feature.

Gladio laughed again and leaned against the wall, folding his arms. “Might’ve seen a few on accident.”

Noctis cursed under his breath and dropped his head back onto his desk. Of _course_ he’d seen it. Because why the hell not? That was just his luck: his best friend revealing his crush on a day he had no energy to deal with it.

“Hey. It’s no big.” Gladio’s voice was suddenly soft and serious. His boots thudded quietly on the carpet, drawing closer to the desk. “I’ve kind of known, honestly. You’re...not that great at hiding your crushes, Princess.”

Noctis let out a long, low groan in response.

“I was just waiting for you to say something,” Gladio continued after a moment. “Not exactly in the habit of asking princes on dates, really. Kind of frowned upon in my position.”

It took Noctis several heartbeats to realize what his companion had said. He sat up and turned in his chair to stare at Gladio. “You’re kidding me.”

Gladio shrugged easily, muscles rippling under tanned skin. “Seems like a weird time to start lying to you, doesn’t it?”

Noctis kept staring, incapable of truly processing what Gladio was telling him. His Shield had known about his feelings? And...he felt the same way? “No way. I’m dreaming. Right?”

“‘Fraid not.” Gladio chuckled and rested a hand on the desk, leaning over Noctis just a little. He smelled like leather, sweat, and lilacs, and his smile was the most charming Noct had ever seen. “So. You going to say something or what?”

“Say...something?” Noct asked stupidly, before his brain ground back into motion and he coughed self-consciously. “Uh. Yeah. I guess. I, um. Crap, how do you do this?”

Gladio leaned a little closer, charming smile turning more into a teasing smirk. “What, tell someone you like them?”

Noctis swallowed hard and nodded. “Y-yeah.”

“That’ll work.” Gladio leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the prince’s forehead. “You still busy?”

Heat flooded through the prince’s veins, settling in his cheeks. He ducked his head, trying to hide behind his hair. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way Gladio was into him, let alone so casual about this. And in the middle of trying to finish all his stupid homework, too. “Um. Yeah, I...kind of...got some reading. Uh. Due tomorrow.”

“Reading, huh?” Gladio glanced around the cluttered desk and reached over to grab the novel from the corner of the tabletop. “Oh, man, I remember this one. Let me guess: you hate it.”

Noct groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Was he really so transparent about _everything_? “It’s the worst.”

Gladio chuckled and flipped through the book. After a moment, he bopped it lightly on Noct’s head. “I’ve got an idea. C’mon.”

“Huh?” The prince glanced up, confusion taking the edge off the embarrassment ever so slightly. Of course, the blush came roaring back at the look in Gladio’s amber eyes and the tilt of the man’s chin toward the giant bean bag in the corner.

Gladio grinned as he shoved away from the desk, book in hand, and sauntered over to the bean bag. Without a word, he flopped down gracelessly and sank into the black suede like a stone. “Well? You coming?”

Noctis swallowed hard and stood. There was more than enough room for two on that bean bag, but Gladio took up a good portion of it. They’d have no choice but to cuddle up against each other if they wanted to sit together. Which was probably his Shield’s idea the whole time. He bit his lip as he slunk across the room. “Gladio, I...are you...sure?”

Gladio’s eyebrows rose and he patted the bean bag beside him. “Sit your ass down and let me help.”

“Y-yeah. Uh. Okay. I guess.” Noct hesitantly sat as far away from Gladio as he could manage, though the slope of the bean bag meant he slid into his Shield’s side almost immediately. Could people spontaneously combust from embarrassment? He was pretty sure he was about to find out.

After a moment of shifting and squirming that ended with Gladio’s arm around Noctis’ shoulders, pressing the prince against him, Gladio flipped the book open to the bookmark. “Now don’t fall asleep on me.”

“Mmm. No promises.” Noctis smirked to himself as he awkwardly settled his head on Gladio’s shoulder. Had he always been this warm and solid and comforting?

Quietly, Gladio began to read. His voice rumbled in his chest, low and soft and vibrating against Noct’s temple. Every now and then, he would shift and pull Noctis a little bit closer, resting cheek on the prince’s hair as he continued.

Noctis did his best to remain awake, to listen and attempt to absorb the boring story. But he rarely felt so safe and relaxed, and Gladio’s voice was so soothing. He wound up drifting off a few times, only to wake again when his Shield gently jostled him. He wasn’t sure how long it took Gladio to read him the rest of the book, but he didn’t particularly mind. This was _much_ nicer than slogging through it on his own.

Of course, eventually, the book thumped shut and Gladio set it aside. “You get all that?”

“No,” Noctis admitted sleepily. He yawned expansively and curled closer against Gladio’s side. “But that’s okay.”

Gladio chuckled and gently rubbing his big hand along Noctis’ arm. “Just don’t flunk a test and blame it on me.”

Noctis snorted indelicately. “Whatever.”

“I’ll give you a review later.” Gladio’s smirk was evident in his voice as he gently kissed the top of Noct’s head.

Noctis yawned again and closed his eyes. “Mmm. Thanks, Gladio.”

“Any time, princess.” Gladio kissed his head again and shifted. The bean bag rustled and groaned under his weight and the motion pushed them even closer together, until Noctis was practically laying on top of his Shield. “Comfy?”

Noct nodded against Gladio’s firm chest and hummed in agreement. He knew he should get up and finish the rest of his homework, but he just couldn’t bring himself to. Too sleepy and comfortable. A little nap wouldn’t hurt, right?

Before he knew it, he was fast asleep in his Shield’s lap, quietly snoring in time with Gladio’s deep breaths. All in all, the afternoon had gone far better than he’d anticipated--and for the first time, he felt like that might continue past the next few hours. Maybe, if he was lucky, it might even continue forever. At least he knew he could count on Gladio to always stand beside him.


End file.
